Yampa Valley sportsmen issued a proposal earlier this year requesting a limited hunting season on Sandhill Crane. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission tabled the proposal, citing insignificant evidence that the species needs to be managed.

Colorado Hunter magazine

A proposal from Yampa Valley sportsmen for a limited Sandhill Crane hunt in Northwest Colorado was tabled last week by state officials.

On June 7-8 the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission hosted its monthly meeting at the Holiday Inn of Craig, 300 S. Colorado Highway 13.

Commissioners were expected to take action on a proposal submitted by local sportsmen earlier in the year for a limited Sandhill Crane hunt in game management units throughout the Yampa Valley.

The submitted proposal outlined a quota of 40 birds.

But after internal consideration by CPW employees, the commission decided not to take action on the issue.

“The harvest of 40 cranes is not sufficient to materially affect the population, but there also wasn’t a compelling argument to manage the population either,” said CPW Manager of External Relations Theo Stein. “Sandhill Cranes are a fairly high profile conservation success and it’s very clear the public was quite divided on this issue.”